Kansas
Illinois’ Victory Against Kansas Should Bring Program Into National Spotlight
The Illinois Fighting Illini fans made sure to show support for the football team Saturday night.
In the first sellout at Memorial Stadium since 2016, the players did not disappoint.
The Illini defeated No. 19 Kansas 23-17, giving them their first victory against a ranked opponent in five years. They improved to 2-0, with a game next week against Central Michigan before opening Big Ten play the following week at Nebraska.
The Illini went ahead for good on a 1-yard touchdown run by Kaden Feagin with 9 minutes, 34 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. The defense responded by holding the Jayhawks to a three-and-out on the next possession. Quarterback Luke Altmyer sealed it with a completion to Zakhari Franklin on a 3rd-and-12.
The win allowed the Illini to avenge last year’s 34-23 loss to the Jayhawks in Lawrence, Kan. That was more than enough motivation, but the matchup drew national attention because of the circumstances.
Now, Illinois can start looking toward building on the momentum. It can set the tone for the season after a disappointing end a year ago.
The Illini can almost thank defensive Xavier Scott for single-handedly helping them to a 13-10 lead against Kansas at halftime.
Scott had two interceptions, including one he returned for a touchdown to put the Illini ahead at halftime. The next step is the team hoping to build off one of the biggest wins in school history.
Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Illinois Fighting Illini On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com
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Kansas
Search for missing Reno County man ends, Silver Alert still in effect
WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – After three full days of searching on land and in area waters, the search for 80-year-old Gary Foster has been put on hold.
The Reno County Sheriff’s Office said Foster’s family decided to postpone the search until after the holidays, when efforts will resume as a recovery mission.
Over the last 72 hours, crews launched a large-scale effort involving over 200 people combing a five-mile radius around where he was last seen. The Kansas Highway Patrol searched the area via aircraft, and Saline County provided a water rescue team and sonar to scan nearby ponds.
The Silver Alert for Foster remains in effect.
Copyright 2024 KWCH. All rights reserved. To report a correction or typo, please email news@kwch.com
Kansas
Kansas man charged after leading an Osceola, Mo. police officer on a high-speed chase on Highway 13
ST. CLAIR COUNTY, Mo. (KY3) – A Kansas City, Kansas man has been charged after leading Osceola police in a high-speed pursuit while under the influence.
According to court documents, 43-year-old Marvin Ruiz is charged with DWI and resisting arrest.
Court documents show that on December 21, around 5:30 p.m., an Osceola police officer noticed a Jeep driving south on Highway 13 at 110 miles per hour in a 65-mph zone. The officer then pulled out of the median and saw the Jeep go through it and start driving north on Highway 13.
The officer started chasing the suspect, at one point reaching speeds nearing 121 mph. He was then able to stop the car as it tried to turn back around and go south. The officer got out of his patrol car and drew his gun as he approached the Jeep.
According to court documents, the officer saw Ruiz behind the wheel and noticed his eyes were bloodshot and in a daze.
Moments later, Ruiz put the Jeep in reverse, almost causing several accidents before driving south in the northbound lanes. The officer followed Ruiz going about 70 mph and noticed Ruiz nearly hit other cars head-on.
The officer tried a PIT maneuver in the median to stop Ruiz, but it did not work. Ruiz then went south in the southbound lanes, and the chase speed reached near 110 mph. The officer says Ruiz then slammed on his brakes, causing him to hit the Jeep and spin out. The chase continued through the Lowry City city limits before Ruiz lost control and wrecked near a curve.
According to the officer, he got out of his patrol car and was able to arrest Ruiz. The officer tested Ruiz for alcohol, and his BAC came back to be 0.169.
According to the Osceola Police Department, the officer involved in the chase was Officer French and his K9 Officer Beck.
The St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office and Missouri State Highway Patrol worked the crash since Ruiz hit the officer’s patrol car.
Ruiz appeared in court on December 23 and entered a not-guilty plea for the incident. He is being held in the St. Clair County Jail without bond. He is set to appear in court again on January 8, 2025.
To report a correction or typo, please email digitalnews@ky3.com. Please include the article info in the subject line of the email.
Copyright 2024 KY3. All rights reserved.
Kansas
Steelers Get No Favors Before Chiefs Matchup
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers host the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 17, in a game they hoped carried a different meaning. Heading into their three-games in 11 days stretch, the black and gold had an opportunity to compete for the top seed in the AFC and claim the AFC North crown.
Now, things aren’t different. They’re fighting to remain the division crown, and will need to beat the Chiefs to keep themselves at the top of the race instead of banking on help from the Baltimore Ravens.
The Buffalo Bills didn’t make that challenge any easier. After going down early in Week 16 against the New England Patriots, it looked as if the Bills were going to give Kansas City and early Christmas present. A loss and the Chiefs claimed home-field advantage in the AFC, which would’ve taken a lot of pressure off them to play injured players like Patrick Mahomes and Chris Jones.
Instead, Buffalo climbed their way back and won, keeping the AFC race alive. And heading into Week 17 against the Steelers, it gave Kansas City every ounce of motivation to keep their winning ways alive and beat the Steelers.
The Steelers are 2.5-point underdogs against the Chiefs heading into Week 17. They’ll be looking to get names like George Pickens and DeShon Elliott back on the field, while monitoring a list of Chiefs injuries that includes Jones and offensive tackle D.J. Humphries.
Nothing will come easy this Christmas for Pittsburgh, and thanks to the Bills, their hopes of Carson Wentz and some backups starting at Acrisure Stadium won’t happen. It’ll be good on good for those tuning in for the holiday showdown.
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